Every year when I do the Oscar Blitz, there are inevitably a few movies that I didn't see before the nominations were announced. Most of the time these are documentaries or foreign entries that haven't gotten a domestic release or that only had a minimal theatrical run earlier in the year. On occasion there's a … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Shortest Blitz Ever
Awards Season is almost over, and as such, I've got to wrap up all my old business from 2023. This includes the two films I had to watch after the Oscar nominations came out, as well as the final four publicly released films that got nods at the Independent Spirit Awards. It was incredible binging … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part Four
As I sit here typing, we are three weeks out from Oscar Night, and somehow I still have 10 movies from 2023 to review. God I'm piling a lot of stuff on my plate! Eight of those 10 are Independent Spirit nominees. I successfully cast my ballot this past Monday, and I look forward to … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part Three
As we come ever so much nearer to closing the book on 2023 cinema, it is time to return to the realm of documentaries. I've already covered the Documentary Feature category on the Oscar Blitz, including my admission of defeat in my annual quest to clear the shortlist, having come up one short. I did … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Witness to Truth, Part Two
As I write this, there are less than 48 hours until the voting deadline for the Independent Spirit Awards, and I have... seven more films to watch so that I can make as informed a choice as possible. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, eh? I feel like I'm back in high school writing … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part Two
Every year the goal in the leadup to the Oscar Blitz is to see as many films as possible shortlisted by the Academy in various fields. It's not always possible, but I still make the attempt. Of the 10 categories that get these semifinal treatments, I was able to complete four of them, which is … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Coming Up Short(list)
So as I've mentioned more than a few times, I ponied up the dough to join Film Independent about a year ago. The membership fee was more than worth it, as it afforded me access to private screenings and discounts for a ton of indie and foreign films in the lead-up to this year's Oscar … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part One
Every year I make it a personal mission to not just see all of the eventual Oscar nominees in each category, but wherever possible, to clear the entire shortlist of semifinalists. This began several years ago with my first attempt to view all 15 films vying for Documentary Feature, and the goal has remained ever … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Witness to Truth, Part One
Over 150 films were deemed eligible by the Academy to compete for the Oscar for Documentary Feature. Last week, more than 90% of the field was eliminated, whittling the contest down to 15 semifinalists. I had already seen a few of the candidates, and since the announcement, I've ticked a few more off in my … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Doc is Out
We come to it at long last. Tomorrow the Academy will announce the shortlists in multiple categories, including International Feature. I've done my best to be as comprehensive as possible in watching and analyzing everything I could find, but I didn't accomplish all I wanted to. There were several private screenings that I got invites … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Gamblers
